Drafting instrument



Sept. 26, 1967 M. A. PUERTA DRAFTING INSTRUMENT Filed June 3, 1965 United States Patent O 3,343,265 DRAFTING INSTRUMENT Miguel A. Puerta, 1164 Alta Ave., Apt. 13, Atlanta, Ga. 30307 Filed June 3, 1965, Ser. No. 460,936 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-27) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a drafting instrument which can be utilized for multiple purposes, and comprises a rectilinear main body portion having scales embossed thereon adjacent its edges and a pivotal body portion attached at its end to one end of the main body portion. The pivotal body portion has scales embossed thereon adjacent its edges, and defines a rectilinear slot extending centrally of its length. The pivotal body portion is connected to the main body portion by a pivot pin, and the pivot pin is movable through the slot of the pivotal body portion.

Background of the invention For the draftsman or student performing various functions at a drafting table, it is desirable to have a single instrument which is usable for a multiple number of purposes, so that the drafting area is not cluttered with a large number of various different instruments. Also, it is desirable to have at hand various scales for use in measurements in drafting work.

To accomplish the above functions, various equipment has been developed, of which the following patents are representative: 708,376, Lundgren; 734,539, Gray; 1,303,- 846, Blauvelt; 1,636,637, Hutchison; 2,658,278, Debs; 271,811, (Germany).

Summary of the invention The invention comprises a two-part drafting instrument including a main body portion and a pivotal body portion attached to each other at their ends by means of a pivot pin. Various scales are embossed on the main body portion and pivotal body portion, adjacent their edges, and the pivotal body portion deiines a slot extending longitudinallythereof which is slidable over the pivot pin to effectively shorten the pivotal body portion with respect to the main body portion.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a drafting instrument that is adaptable to a plurality of uses.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drafting instrument including a plurality of scales, wherein various ones of the scales are pivotal about each other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drafting instrument including a plurality of scales, wherein a first plurality of scales is pivotal to a predetermined angle about a second plurality of scales, and the first plurality of scales is slidable with the second plurality of scales to various settings.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Description of the drawing Patented Sept. 26, 1967 ICC Description of the embodiment Referring now more particularly to the drawing, in which like letters indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows the assembled drafting instrument comprising a main body portion A and a pivotal body portion B connected thereto. The pivotal body portion is connected at its lower end (FIG. 1) by means of pivot pin I. A wing nut E is threadedly received on pivot pin I to bias pivotal body portion B toward main body portion A, to form a friction t between these elements.

Main body portion A defines a groove extending over a `major portion of its length to receive pivotal body portion B. The groove is sized and shaped to receive pivotal body portion B in such a manner that, when the instrument is closed as shown in FIG. l, the instrument will be substantially rectangular in cross sectional configuration.

A transverse groove F is formed near the lower end of the main body portion (FIGS. l and 2). Transverse groove F extends entirely across the width of main body portion A, and is coextensive with the longitudinal groove of the main body portion. The width of transverse groove F is substantially equal to the width of pivotal body portion B.

The lower edge of main body portion A terminates in a pointed tip G. Tip G functions as a pivot point when the instrument is held in an upright or vertical position. The inner surface of transverse groove F is embossed with a plurality of bench marks disposed in an arc about pivot pin J. The lower end of pivotal body portion B has embossed thereon a matching bench mark which will pivot about pivot pin J with the pivoting of pivotal body portion B.

Pivotal body portion B defines a central slot or groove D which extends longitudinally thereof along a major portion of its length. Slot D terminates in an enlarged opening at the bottom of pivotal body portion B, through which pivot pin J normally extends. SlotD is of suiiicient width to accommodate the thickness of pivot pin J, so that the pivotal body portion B may be slid through transverse groove F, pivot pin J sliding through slot D.

The upper end of pivotal body portion B terminates in a pencil holder C. Pencil holder C is configured so that it is coextensive with pivotal body portion B but is pivotal about the pivotal body portion B. An axle N is rigidly connected to pencil holder C and is rotatably and slidably received in the upper end of pivotal body portion B. Axle N includes a cap located in the upper portion of pivotal body portion B and spring M is located about axle N in such a manner as to bias pencil holder C against the end of the pivotal body portion G. Positioning pins O are embedded in pencil holder C and positioning bores P are located in the upper surface of pivotal body portion B to receive the ends of positioning pins O projecting from pencil holder 'C. With this arrangement, pencil holder C can be moved away from pivotal body portion B, in an axial direction as shown in FIG. 4, until positioning pins O are withdrawn from bores P of body portion B, whereupon pencil holder C may be rotated about its axle and released, whereupon positioning pins O will be located on either side of pivotal body portion B. Releasing pencil holder C in this manner allows spring M to draw pencil holder C back toward pivotal body portion B with positioning pins O located on either side of body portion B, thus locking pencil holder C in a position generally normal to pivotal body portion B.

Pivotal body portion B may be rotated about pivot pin J until it extends substantially perpendicular to main body portion A. Pivotal body portion B may then be slid through transverse groove F; pivot pin J sliding through slot D of pivotal body portion B. When pivotal body portion B has been slid the desired distance wing nut E may be tightened so as to form a friction fit between pivotal body portion B and main body portion A.

A small indentation or recess I is located at the extreme upper surface of main body portion A to aid the user in manipulating main body portion A.

Pencil holder C defines an aperture Q centrally thereof to receive a pencil or similar instrument therethrough. A set screw R extends through the surface of pencil holder C toward, aperture Q so as to bear against the side of the pencil (not shown) and hold the same fast in aperture Q.

Various scales are embossed on the surfaces of the instrument such as scales H, K, L and S. It will be noted that scale K on pivotal body portion B runs from the bottom portion toward the top portion of the pivotal body portion, while scale S on the opposite edge of pivotal body portion B runs from the top portion toward the bottom portion thereof. Scales H and L of the main body portion both run from the bottom portion toward the top portion thereof.

Operation The drafting instrument has a plurality of uses, depending upon the desires of the draftsman. For instance, the various scales embossed thereon can be utilized in the conventional manner. If the draftsman desires to create a particular angle, the lock nut E may be loosened and pivotal body portion B pivoted about pivot pin I to the desired angle, as indicated by the bench marks at the lower portions of main body portion A and pivotal body portion B. When the desired angle is obtained, lock nut E may be tightened to hold the particular angle permanently. 1f the draftsman desires to draw a circle with a given radius, the lock nut E may be loosened, pivotal body portion pivoted to an angle normal to main body portion A, pivotal body portion B moved through transverse groove F until the vertically extending bench mark at the lower portion of main body portion A extends toward the number on scale S of pivotal body portion B which indicates the desired radius, whereupon lock nut E is retightened. Pencil holder C is then extended, pivoted, and then allowed to retract under the bias of its spring M, whereupon it is disposed at an angle perpendicular with respect to pivotal body portion B. Main body portion A is then held in an upright position, pivot point or tip G placed at the center of the desired circle, and the draftsmans finger is placed in recess I at the extreme upper end of the main body portion A. A pencil is then placed through aperture Q and the draftsman merely rotates the pivotal body portion B about the pivot lpoint or tip G so that his pencil point defines the circle on the surface of his drafting board. The draftsmans pencil may be held permanently in the aperture Q by rotating set screw R until it engages the pencil.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drafting instrument of substantially fiat overall configuration comprising an elongated body portion defining an elongated groove along a major portion of its length and a transverse groove adjacent a first end thereof and intersecting said elongated groove, a pivot pin of non-circular cross sectional configuration located centrally of the intersection of said elongated groove and said pin having a small cross-sectional configuration adjacent the body and a large cross-sectional configuration at its distal end and said transverse groove, a plurality of bench marks defined in said transverse groove extending radially from said pivot pin, a sharpened member forming said first end of said main body portion, an elongated pivotal body portion of a width slightly smaller than said elongated groove and said transverse groove and defining a slot extending along a major portion of its length of a width generally equal to the small crosssectional configuration of said pivot pin and including an enlarged opening at one end of said pivotal body portion of a width generally equal to the large cross-sectional configuration of said pivot pin, said pivot pin being received within said slot and locking means for rigidly fastening said pivotal body portion to said main body portion, said pivotal body portion including an end portion at its other end generally coextensive therewith and pivotally connected thereto and defining a central aperture therethrough, means for selectively maintaining said end portion in coextensive alignment with Said pivotal body portion or in a position normal to said pivotal body portion, and said pivotal body portion includingI at least one bench mark at its said one end for selective alignment with the plurality of bench marks of said transverse groove.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein a set screw extends through said end portion toward said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,101 6/1888 Warner 33-160 X 708,376 9/1902 Lundgren 33-116 X 734,014 7/1903 Traut 33-160 734,539 7/1903 Gray 33--117 X 957,238 5/1910 Murphy 33-160 1,303,846- 5/1919 Blauvelt 33-117 1,636,637 7/1927 Hutchison 33-102 1,680,194 8/1928 Akashi 33-152 2,658,278 11/1953 Debs 33--102 FOREIGN PATENTS 271,811 3/1914 Germany. 469,035 11/ 1928 Germany.

HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner. LEONARD FORMAN, Examiner. 

1. A DRAFTING INSTRUMENT OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT OVERALL CONFIGURATION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION DEFINING AN ELONGATED GROOVE ALONG A MAJOR PORTION OF ITS LENGTH AND A TRANSVERSE GROOVE ADJACENT A FIRST END THEREOF AND INTERSECTING SAID ELONGATED GROOVE, A PIVOT PIN OF NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION LOCATED CENTRALLY OF THE INTERSECTION OF SAID ELONGATED GROOVE AND SAID PIN HAVING A SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION ADJACENT THE BODY AND A LARGE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION AT ITS DISTAL END AND SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE, A PLURALITY OF BENCH MARKS DEFINED IN SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID PIVOT PIN, A SHARPENED MEMBER FORMING SAID FIRST END OF SAID MAIN BODY PORTION, AND ELONGATED PIVOTAL BODY PORTION OF A WIDTH SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN SAID ELONGATED GROOVE AND SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE AND DEFINING A SLOT EXTENDING ALONG A MAJOR PORTION OF ITS LENGTH OF A WIDTH GENERALLY EQUAL TO THE SMALL CROSSSECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF SAID PIVOT PIN AND INCLUDING AN ENLARGED OPENING AT ONE END OF SAID PIVOTAL BODY PORTION OF A WIDTH GENERALLY EQUAL TO THE LARGE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF SAID PIVOT PIN, SAID PIVOT BEING RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SLOT AND LOCKING MEANS FOR RIGIDLY FASTENING SAID PIVOTAL BODY PORTION TO SAID MAIN BODY PORTION, SAID PIVOTAL BODY PORTION INCLUDING AN END PORTION AT ITS OTHER END GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED THERETO AND DEFINING A CENTRAL APERTURE THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MAINTAINING SAID END PORTION IN COEXTENSIVE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PIVOTAL BODY PORTION OR IN A POSITION NORMAL TO SAID PIVOTAL BODY PORTION, AND SAID PIVOTAL BODY PORTION INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE BENCH MARK AT ITS SAID ONE END FOR SELECTIVE ALIGNMENT WITH THE PLURALITY OF BENCH MARKS OF SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE. 